On Call
By Daily Bruin Staff
March 1, 2001 9:00 p.m.
 MICHAEL JENNINGS Emergency Medical Technician and alumnus
Brie Zaia inspects an oxygen tank while on duty
for UCLA’s Emergency Medical Services.
By Janet Chang
Daily Bruin Contributor
The duties of a typical student include going to class,
meetings, studying and socializing. But members of UCLA Emergency
Medical Services also save lives and provide basic life support as
part of their regular job routine.
“It’s a terrific stepping stone for anybody
who’s interested in anything in the health care field or in
the fire service or other public safety positions,” said K.C.
Kainsinger, and emergency medical technician and fourth-year
physiological science student.
Since its establishment in 1979, UCLA EMS has been providing the
UCLA community with basic emergency medical care as well as
providing students with the opportunity to gain experience in
health care.
A student-run organization, UCLA EMS works with the Los Angeles
City Fire Department under a two-tier response system.
UCLA EMS is responsible for providing basic life support, while
the L.A. City Fire Department is responsible for providing the
community with advanced life support .
“We’ll handle a twisted ankle without their
assistance, but if it’s someone who is unconscious and
unresponsive, we want them to respond also,” said Peter Dell,
manager of UCLA EMS.
Additionally, UCLA EMS is specifically geared to serve the UCLA
community, while the L.A. City Fire Department is responsible for
the entire city.
“We know the campus much better than the L.A. City Fire
department,” Dell said. “We’re typically on the
scene in under five minutes.”
 Illustration by JARRETT QUON/Daily Bruin Brie Zaia, a
physiological science alumnus who graduated in 1999, still works as
an EMT and said most students work from 16 hours to 40 hours a
week.
They can choose to work an eight-hour shift from 7 a.m. to 3
p.m. or work from 3 p.m to 7 a.m., which is a 16- hour shift, she
said.
The EMTs working the second shift can go to sleep at 11 p.m. but
must wake up at 7 a.m., during the time when they can receive a
call for an emergency service.
Despite the long hours, most UCLA EMTs do not find their jobs
straining on their academics or their personal lives.
“My classes helped me in the job,” Zaia said.
“It was a way to apply the knowledge and then the knowledge
sank in, so it went both ways.”
But there are still drawbacks, some of which include dealing
with a failed rescue attempt.
Although the majority of the calls EMS receives involve minor
trauma, there are situations in which every minute counts. Since
they are the first ones on site, EMTs are responsible for caring
for the patients until the L.A. City Fire Department arrives with
further assistance.
Gabriel Brakin, a third-year political science student, and the
public relations and hiring coordinator, recalled a call involving
an elderly woman in cardiac arrest.
Brakin and his partner performed CPR and made attempts to shock
the patient until the paramedics arrived.
“While you’re doing the call, everything moves in
slow motion but fast at the same time,” said Brakin, who is
also a field training officer. “I remember every little thing
that I did, but yet it flew by in only 4 minutes.”
The woman did not survive the cardiac arrest despite every
attempt made by Brakin, his partner and the paramedics.
“Those calls where the patient dies teaches us the value
of life and the value of what we do,” added Brakin.
Although UCLA EMS serves the UCLA community, their funding comes
from a variety of sources beyond the university.
“We work special events on campus. We charge for
transports,” Dell said. “The rest comes from state
money that goes directly to the police department who then
allocates that money for us.”
The special events that UCLA EMS work include all the
men’s basketball games at Pauley Pavilion as well as any
other events that take place on campus involving a large crowd.
“If somebody slips and falls, we will be the ones who
respond over there,” Dell said. “At the last two games,
we actually had a few critical calls.”
Students interested in working for UCLA EMS have to be currently
EMT certified, have a GPA of 2.0 or higher, one academic year
remaining and a valid California driver’s license.
Most UCLA EMTs receive their certification by taking EMT classes
through the UCLA Center for Pre-Hospital Care. Thereafter, the
student must pass a written test and a skills test as well as
completing a 10-hour ride along with an ambulance or a 10-hour
emergency room clinical. Following that, the EMT students take the
certification exam administered by the county.
After the hiring process, the student goes through six months of
training both in and outside of the classroom. The training begins
with a minimum of 10 weeks in the classroom followed by another 10
weeks on the field with the supervision of a field training
officer. After that, the student spends another 10 weeks on the
field as a probationary EMT.
Despite the rigorous demands of the job, the student EMTs
consider their jobs rewarding as well as fun. For many EMTs, being
part of UCLA EMS often leads to other opportunities outside of the
typical duties of an EMT.
For example, Trey Nelson, a fifth-year history student and an
UCLA EMT, has been recruited by the L.A. City Fire Department to
play volleyball for their club team.
“It allows me to get more involved with them,” said
Nelson. “I make friendship with them on the volleyball court
and in the field as well.”
Although most students become EMTs to gain experience, the
rewards of being an EMT extend beyond that.
“It seemed like a really good student job,”
Kainsinger said about his decision to become a UCLA EMT.
“I’ve always wanted to do something in the health care
field and I figured this would be a great experience.”
For many EMTs, beyond the hands-on experiences are the rewards
of saving lives as well as being part of a team.
“Being an EMT is the quintessential example of teamwork
and camaraderie,” Nelson said.
